Walmart

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Supermarket operators in Ohio, take heed: Six Wal-Mart Supercenters are coming to a neighborhood near you on May 17. The stores are located near Cincinnati (Forest Park and Fairfield Township), Springfield, Bowling Green, and Upper Sandusky. Three of the stores are new facilities, and three are expanded or relocated stores.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Katherine Frisina, a former legislative aide to Sen. John Carey (R-Ohio), has joined the Ohio Grocers Association as director of government relations and public affairs, where she'll be responsible for managing OGA's government and media relations.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) here said yesterday it was launching an in-store event, "Go Over the Hedge for Good Health" in more than 2,000 Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets across the country May 21. The promotion ties into the opening of the DreamWorks movie "Over the Hedge," by encouraging families with children to eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables daily for good health.

LONDON -- In a move similar to efforts being made by Wal-Mart, Britain's largest supermarket operator Tesco Plc has said it plans to implement a 10-point Community Plan in an attempt to improve its image as it continues to grow globally.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Following a successful auction on May 9, bankrupt retailer Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. here has reached agreements to sell 21 stores in Florida to 14 purchasers, including Kash N' Karry, Wal-Mart, and Office Depot. The stores are part of a group of 35 locations that the company closed earlier this year.

LONDON -- Already accounting for more than 32 percent of the global market, the world's largest 30 grocery retailers continue to grow at a faster rate than the modern grocery market as a whole, according to Planet Retail's Top 30 Grocery Retailers Worldwide report.

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Larry's Markets this week revealed that the six-store chain, based here, is looking to sell the company and has filed for financial protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code while it engages in sales negotiations.

DES MOINES -- Dahl's Foods, Inc., a grocery chain based here, will begin selling gasoline in August, when the retailer is slated to launch its first combination gas station, convenience store, and car wash, to be known as Dahl's Fuel, according to a published report. The grocer's headquarters are on the second floor of the store, which is located at Merle Hay Road and Aurora Avenue in Des Moines.